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Gel
Definitions
- 1 A semi-solid to almost solid colloid of a solid and a liquid, such as jelly, cheese or opal. countable, uncountable
"Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads."
- 2 A girl. British, slang
""Now pray don't be troublesome, my dear gel," said Uncle Andrew."
- 3 a thin translucent membrane used over stage lights for color effects wordnet
- 4 Any gel intended for a particular cosmetic use, such as for styling the hair. countable, uncountable
- 5 jellylike substance used in hair styling wordnet
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- 6 A film of flexible transparent plastic (such as acetate, celluloid, or cellophane) suitable for making superimpositions or diapositives (image to overlay on other images, especially for overhead projectors); a digital virtual equivalent of this. countable, uncountable
- 7 a colloid in a more solid form than a sol wordnet
- 1 To apply (cosmetic) gel to (the hair, etc). transitive
"It ended, as it so often does, with that familiar smile. Cristiano Ronaldo – gelled hair, dazzling teeth, magic in his boots – will never forget the night he scored the 600th goal of an almost implausible career."
- 2 apply a styling gel to wordnet
- 3 To become a gel. intransitive
- 4 become a gel wordnet
- 5 To develop a rapport. intransitive
"He was a nice guy, and I got on OK with his friends, but the two of us never really gelled."
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- 6 To come together to form something; to cohere. figuratively, intransitive
"We put our ideas together and they eventually gelled into a saleable product."
Etymology
Coined by Thomas Graham in the mid 19th century as a clipping of gelatin, from French gélatine, from Italian gelatina, diminutive form of gelata (“iced”), from Latin gelata, past participle of gelo (“to freeze”), from gelu (“frost”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“cold”). For the meaning development compare with Russian сту́день (stúdenʹ, “aspic, jelly, gel”) related to студёный (studjónyj, “cold”).
Coined by Thomas Graham in the mid 19th century as a clipping of gelatin, from French gélatine, from Italian gelatina, diminutive form of gelata (“iced”), from Latin gelata, past participle of gelo (“to freeze”), from gelu (“frost”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“cold”). For the meaning development compare with Russian сту́день (stúdenʹ, “aspic, jelly, gel”) related to студёный (studjónyj, “cold”).
Imitative of upper-class British pronunciation of girl.
See also for "gel"
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